Drink,Drugs and Lost Wonderbolts
High up in Cloudsdale the thousands of ponies rent the air with the thundering of hooves on cloud. The Cloudsdale stadium hummed and shook with the souls and hearts of the pegasi who had filled the arena to see the premier group in flight, power,pride and speed, the Wonderbolts. There swiftness in flying destroyed competition for their spot completely. As a wonderbolt fame ,money and fortune was all yours. Mares threw themselves completely disregarding their own safety for a glimpse of one of the almost legendary wonderbolts. When ponies saw one of them they would bow deeply showing the utmost respect one would have thought was reserved for royalty. Almost all the wonderbolts had broken records of speed, met with the princesses and helped save ponies lives from natural disasters such as a magic storm or something of the like. Right now Soarin new to the wonderbolts way of living was loving every moment of it.
Soarin was a dark navy pegasus with an even darker blue messy mane. His life was currently at a complete highpoint. Equestria daily had named him the sexiest stallion of the year recently and he loved the fame it brought him. Soon after his rise to fame the Wonderbolts began taking notice of his superior flying abilities. On the surface people saw a goofy but lovable stallion with a big heart and a smile seemingly permanently on his face. However the wonderbolts saw something deeper than that, underneath his fun exterior was the determination,will and heart to become a true wonderbolt.
When Soarin had heard the news he had been ecstatic. He never envisioned himself getting a chance to fly with the wonderbolts who were perhaps the greatest stunt ponies to ever live. Of course he only had a chance since the Wonderbolt academy only accepted one pony from those chosen to win. Soarin aced every test put against him. While he was never an academic pony he revised and strived to pass the written tests. Everyone in the academy were brilliant flyers but none could match Soarin's strength and speed when flying. He passed the tests with flying colours and soon found himself on his first flight with Spitfire the current captain and the rest of the team.
Two weeks later and Soarin was performing in Cloudsdale stadium to the delight of his fans. He flew through the air as light as a feather as he and the team completed the omega five formation ending with a aurora dive. He landed on the ground his legs flexing slightly to take his weight. A pony wearing the trademark blue Wonderbolt suit landed to the left of him. His coat was a deep golden colour and his mane was a fiery red. His warm golden eyes settled on Soarin as he grinned at him. This was his best friend and fellow rookie Starburst. To his right Spitfire landed. Her fiery orange and yellow mane and coat stood out amongst the crowds. She smiled as well the fiery look in her eyes reminded him all too well of his duty and passion as a Wonderbolt. The crowd was going crazy and chants of the “ Wonderbolts,Wonderbolts,Wonderbolts!” rang throughout the arena. Soarin held his own trademark goofy grin as he waved at the crowd taking in the pure affection they sent his way…
“Gah!” A voice rang out in the pitch black room. The sound of a hoof colliding with a alarm clock flowed through the room. “ That dream again, why can’t it leave me the buck alone!” The light switch flicked on illuminating a small dirty room. The walls were streaked with grime and the floor smelled like someone had taken a great big shit on it. Standing in the middle of the room a stallion stood. His once blue mane now turned black from dirt hung from him limply displaying none of the former life it had. His green eyes once full of life now had a dull sheen over them like someone had glazed them over. This was the former Wonderbolt Soarin and he looked like a different pony. His eyes slowly ran over his letter from the Wonderbolt captain Spitfire.
Dear Mr Soarin
I regret to inform you of a pressing matter involving your post as a rookie. Our scouts found a mare named Rainbow dash. She is responsible for personally saving countless lives when she helped the Wonderbolts stop a rogue storm from the Ever free forest from destroying Ponyville. As a result I thought it a good idea to give her a private audition to test her skills. She excelled all tests reaching a speed currently unknown and managing to create a sonic rainboom. Due to recent cuts to our budget we need flyers that uniquely stand out and Miss Dash certainly does. Unfortunately there are no free slots on the Wonderbolts at the moment but Miss Dash will prove vastly important to us. As such protocol dictates we severe all ties with the least experienced member of our group to make way. This means that of now you are no longer a Wonderbolt. Please come to my office to collect your last salary and hand in your badge.
Best regards
Spitfire Captain of the Wonderbolts team.
What really got Soarin mad was how she had been so cold and professional about the incident when he visited her office.. She had adamantly refused any attempt for him to salvage his job back. She had offered to put in a good word if he needed another job. At this Soarin had got so mad he threw his Wonderbolt badge at her. The sharp metal edge cut into her cheek at a high angle. Soarin had to be escorted from the building while Spitfire had a permanent memorial of what she had done to Soarin etched on her face.
They had dragged Soarin out onto the street kicking and screaming calling the Wonderbolt's names with enough swearing to make a sailor pony blush to his boots. They threw him out onto the street as he landed in a crumpled heap. He looked up and saw a few ponies look his way. But the majority ignored him. He realized they didn't even recognise him without his signature suit. With pain in his eyes from a sprained wing that occurred when he landed on it he galloped to the nearest motel and holed himself up in the cheapest room desperate to get away.
A week later and he was still in the same room wallowing in his self pity. He came out of reminiscing of his past with a shake of his head. “ I need a drink” he grumbled. He picked up his saddlebags with what bits he had left. He walked to a nearby bar by the name of the “ Rotten Cloud” this was now his bar since it was a easy cheap place for souls like him. He entered and pulled up a chair. The bar was the living definition of the seedy underworld. But Soarin paid little attention. Once he caught the attention of the barkeep he got his usual with a bit extra. Equestria’s finest 40% vodka bottle along with Ever Dark whiskey.
He drank slowly his vision becoming more blurred as he did so. Drinking his problems away seemed the only viable option at this point so drink he did. He drank until he could drink no more spending more and more bits. By now he was far more intoxicated than any other time. He mumbled thanks to the barkeep as he rose unsteadily from his seat.
On his first day here StarBurst had come looking for him. He pleaded and begged for Soarin to stop drinking and apologise to Spitfire. At this sentence it took all of Soarin’s willpower not to break StarBurst’s muzzle then and there. She had ruined his life and he wanted him to apologise to her! Soarin just ignored StarBurst until he grew tired and got up to leave. He turned back and said the thing Soarin least wanted to hear from his friend's mouth. “ You know what if you were always going to be like this then maybe Spitfire made the right decision firing your shitty good for nothing ass!” StarBurst had let his frustration get the better of him. He made to say something but thought better of it and exited the bar.After that no one else had come for him and he’d heard nothing about the wonder pegasus Rainbow Dash.
Soarin gained his balance after snapping out of his memories and made to leave. But before he could he was stopped by a foreleg blocking his path. “ Hello stranger you look sad and down need some pep in you?” The speaker was a large sickly grey pegasus stallion with a slicked back black mane. As he spoke he leered and revealed many different objects from his cloak. “ I think some Mareoin would suit you” he said as he held up a syringe filled with a clear thick liquid.
Soarin had considered drugs before but decided to stick to drinking instead. However now as drunk as ever he felt like he could use something more. “ How much” asked Soarin his voice barely audible.
“50 bits and we got a deal” replied the grey pegasus. Soarin wordlessly reached into his saddlebags and retrieved the final amount needed. he received the syringe which he put into his saddlebags clumsily.
“ Pleasure doing business with you sir, if that ain't the finest shit you laid eyes on you find me here full refund” the grey pony smiled moving aside. Soarin barely listened and exited the bar and returned to his crummy motel room.
Once there he decided to get straight down to business and took the syringe out. He popped the cap and injected all of the clear liquid into his vein. He suddenly became calm as the drug took effect. The combination of drugs and drink made his heart slow down considerably. He knew what must be done. A way to free him of depression. But first he had a letter to write. He grabbed a quill got some ink and a scroll and began to write planning to drop it off at the mailpony’s afterwards.
Rainbow dash had just finished her morning exercises above the clear sky of Cloudsdale. She pulled into a tight corkscrew coming out and landing gracefully. Her cloud house was now relocated to a better area for her new career. Her family had been proud of her recent accomplishment however she felt very guilty for stealing the rookie Soarin’s spot. But she was a better flyer and her brash nature refused it to get to her.
She entered her house and picked up the mail. She glanced through bills and advertisements until her eyes came upon a familiar name Soarin. She quickly grabbed the letter and opened it. Her eyes widened with each passing second as she read. “ Oh buck” she thought as she swiftly checked the return address and flew out the door like a bolt of rainbow lightning.
Dear Rainbow Dash
It has taken me so long to realize what this means. Know that I have no grudge against you. Obviously you are the better flyer than me by a fair margin. It has been torture for me knowing that I am just sitting here doing nothing. However drink and pain is all I know now. Know that what I do you should not blame yourself for. I have no wish to live out my days as shadow of what I could have become.
Stay strong Rainbow Dash
Soarin
Rainbow flew as fast as she could towards the motel. She smashed the doors open and flew inside up the stairs and right through Soarin’s door. She looked for him but saw no trace. But then she checked the bathroom and vomited on the floor retching in horror. Suspended from the ceiling was Soarin. His body was hung with wire from the ceiling by the neck and the wire had dug into his skin causing it to bleed. However in his drug induced stupor he had gone further. Carved into his chest were the words clearly readable against his pale coat. “ I'm sorry Spitfire” Dash ran out of the room tears in her eyes from the gruesome display.
Soarin could never expected he would come to this conclusion as such no one had found the body and Dash’s mind to had the permanent memorial of how she had hurt Soarin with her forever until she died.
